Front-End Website Development

Your small business has just decided to go interactive. You're working on your website, and while it is coming along, it just doesn't seem to have the same edginess and pizzazz as others you've seen. This is where front-end development comes in. Part of front-end development can be defined as "making it look good." Front-end development, or client-development, involves one or more of the following technologies:

Mark-up
How a page is structured is the foundation of a website. While (X)HTML or HTML5 may seem trivial, a user may encounter more bugs if the page has poor semantic structure. A front-end developer can ensure that your consumer has a user-friendly experience and enjoys utilizing the website rather than being encumbered by it.

Style
A key part of style is Css, cascading style sheets. Css is a primary function of front-end development and styles the layout of the web page, giving it its individual flair and an easy-to-use look. A very important aspect of style is checking across several browsers and writing concise code that presents well in as many renderings as possible.

Cross-browser, Cross-platform, Cross-device Functionality
Browsers compete with each other for page-rendered speed, plug-ins and add-ons to obtain a lean and comprehensive experience. As applications move toward the Cloud, the browser becomes the operating system, putting a higher demand on coding, styling and programming. Simply put, it is important to check and maintain that the website is capable of operating at a high level on multiple browser systems.

Accessibility
The main point of accessibility is to provide your content and pages with as many points of access as possible. It is beneficial to build your website so that users on an iPad or mobile device, who don't use a mouse or standard keyboard, can access it. We are not far from the day when we'll be able to interact with a site simply by speaking to it, or have it translated to another language and then read out loud in a natural human voice. When designing a website, new forms of technology and accessibility must be taken into account.

Programming
This refers to Javascript, but can also include ActionScript, PHP or a multitude of other popular web languages. Widespread usage of Javascript libraries has allowed for a variety of visual effects that turn web pages into a 3-D immersive experience - an experience that awes and intrigues the user.

Performance
To build sites with as little lag as possible, your mark-up, styles and Javascript should be scalable and nimble. It is in the best interest of your company to reduce your page size footprint and avoid the rising bandwidth costs.

Research
Staying in tune with the constantly evolving trends in design, code and innovation on the web is an essential task of front-end development. Some key technologies to pay attention to are:

Widespread touch interfaces

IPV6 with 128-bit ip addressing

Ribbon visual effects

Video game-inspired interfaces

Niche social networks

Day-glo color schemes

Better interfaces designs

While front-end development can make your website more visually appealing, it also offers a plethora of equally important technologies. From a user-friendly style to an up-to-date interface, a current and accessible website can promote consumer attention and make your company more attractive to clients. As more companies utilize the web, it is important to stay ahead of the curb and maintain a smooth and seamless experience for the user, no matter the digital device they access your site from.

To move forward with a website for your company using front-end development, contact Blue Interactive Agency at 954.779.2801.